1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reciprocating engines, in which there is a buoyant object in a container, that can by its movement provide power to a crankshaft, or provide a hydraulic power output.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While there have been previous inventions of engines that use the buoyant properties of objects in fluids, none are equivalent to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,877, issued on Jun. 24, 1980, to David V. Evans, John P. Davis and Thomas L. Shaw, discloses a device for extracting energy from sea waves by the motion of a submerged cylinder held by tie members at its ends. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that it does not required a submerged cylinder held by tie members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,695, issued on May 19, 1981, to Peter Micciche, discloses a buoyancy engine having a single piston. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has two pistons.
Subsurface buoys tap waves for clean, cheap power are described in an article by Bruce Dunford, published on Aug. 3, 2003, in The Maui News, on page A3, which discloses a subsurface buoy that generates electricity as it moves up and down a rigid pole anchored to the bottom of the sea. The instant invention is distinguishable, as it does not require a buoy retained on a pole anchored to the sea floor.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.